Combination cabinet



Dec. 18, 1928. 1,695,335 `F. B. KAUFMAN A COMBINATION CABINET fi Filed Dec.,so, 1925 6 sheets-sheet 1 K :f'f-

K 525 g k f"\ BQ( E X33 .L ,52 l/5 5L 5 :a Q@ 2mg-f E' awmgw F. B. KAUF-MAN COMBINATION CABINET,

Dec 1.8, 1928.

' 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 30, 1925 Dea 1s, 192s. 1,695,335

F. B. KAUFMAN 'CMBINATION CABINET Filed Dec. 50, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 18, 1928.

y 1,695,335 F. B. KAUFMAN COMBINATION CABINET Fi ts-Sheet 4 Dec 18, 1928.

F. B. KAUFMAN COMBINATION CABINET Filed Dec. 30, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 18, 1928'.

F. B. KAUFMAN COMBINATION CABINET Filed Deo. 50,. 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK B. KAUFMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINATION CABINET.

Application led December S', 1925.

The vinvention relates to cabinets of the type in which a table or bench is provided which, when not in use, can be folded back against the cabinet lto leave the floor in front of the cabinet clear of obstructions.

The object of the invention is to provide means for taking t-he weight of a table, bench, or like structure, off of the supporting mechanism when turned in a substantially horizontal position.

The invention also relates to certain details of construction Vdescribed hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the cabinet with all the associated elements enclosed;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section onthe line SW3, Fig. 1 g,

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5is a front view of the cabinet showing the table and bench on each side thereof swung downwardly upon the horizontal hinges upon which they are normally supported in a vertical position against the front panels of the doors of the cabinet, as shown in Fig. 1; f k

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the cabinet as shown in Fig. 5 with the benches and table lowered into the operative position;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary enlargement of an outer portion of the bench where the legV joins the seat and illustrates a detail of the construction Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational View illustrating the device for relieving the cabinet doors of the strain due to the weight of the various elements where they are pivotally secured in the cabinet;

Fig. 9 is a Vsection on the line 9 9, Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to that of Fig. 8 but illustrating the device when the parts are in the lowered or operative position; and

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11-11, Fig. 10. i

Referring to the drawings, the cabinet in the form illustrated comprises three vertical compartments 1, 2 and 3, (see Figures 2, 3 and 1). Each of these compartments is nor-V mally closed by a door, 4, 5 and 6, respectively, the doors 4 and 6 of the two outer compartments being hinged at their outer vertical edges so as to swing outwardly-and away from the central portion ofthe cabinet, and the door 5 being hinged on the right vertical edge, (see Fig. 1)', the hinges forv the latter door being designated by the reference numeral 7. On the outer face of the door 5 is Serial No.r 78,4151.

mountedl a .table 8, this table being secured to the door at its lower edge by hinges 9, as well illustrated in Fig.y 1. The hinges 9 pro,- vide the supporty for the inner end of the table when the latter is in the lowered or: operative position, as shown in Fig. l5 and at the outer edge the table is supported in this operative position by a leg 10. which as shown in Fig. 7 is connected by means of hinges 11 to the outer' or-in the elevated positionupper edge of the table., The uni der side of the table which is exposed when in the elevated or inoperative positionl is so, recessed in the upper portion vthat this, leg element 10 or the exposed face-thereof lies, flush with the under surface of the table, and as shown in Fig. 1,y the exposed portions of the table in the elevated position may be ornamented by means of panels so as to present a uniform appearance tending to ob-vk scure the real nature of theexposed parts. In the present instance, I have illustratedl a circular mirror 12 set in the `under side of the table.

Seats 13 and 14 respectively are mounted in similar manner on the doors l and 6 of the side compartments, being supported at the inner edge on hinges 15 and having at the upper or outer yedges a leg 16 secured to the table by hinges 17, (see Fig. In this instance also the under surfaces of the benches are recessed for reception of the leg 16 when the tables are in the elevated or inoperative position, and the under sides are recessed and paneled in such manner as to provide a uni-v form and ornamental appearance. as illus trated in Fig. 1. Each of the panels includes a baclr-rest'lS vhinged at rthe lower edgev to the rear or outer edges of the panels, as indi` cated at 18a, and collapsible struts 19 are provided to support the backs against the strains placed upon them. These backs, as will be apparent, are adapted to fold' down flat upon the tops of the benchesy when the latter are to be elevated to the inoperative, position. In order to give a more nished appearance by hiding the hinges 11 and 17 when the table and benches are in the elevated position, the leg 10 and theleg 16 l are recessed at the top, as illustrated in Fig, 7, which shows in side elevation the upper portion of one of the legs 16, (the upper edge` of the leg 10 being similarly formed). It will `be apparent that when the parts are in the elevated or inoperative position, ythe elevatedlegs inwardly when the parts are in use ot the rods is secured to the framework ol the cabinet at a point below the lower edge ot the table or bench, as the case may be, a distance equal to the space bef tween the outer end ot' the rod 33 and the hinge ot' the leg to which the rod is attached. llecesses are provided at the outer edges ot the table and along the outer edge of each oi the benches, as shown in Fig. l, into which the rods 33 lit when the table and benches are y in the elevated position. llhen these parts are lowered, however, the rods function to force the legs outwardly away from the under sides ot the table and benches and eventually into the normal position shown in llig. 6. rlhese iods function also struts preventing accidental displacement of ino lt will be noted that b y reason ot the that the table and chairs when in the operative .position are supported at their inner ends by the doors to which they attached, there is placed upon the respective doors and their vertical hinges a. torsional in which ordinarily would require extremely strong and large hinge ln order to obviate the use of such hinges, l provide a device for ref lieving` the doors of this strain when the parts are in the operative position by transerring the weight ot' the inner ends oit the table and benches to the xed traine of the cabinet. The devices by which l accomplish this end are illustrated in detail in ligs. 8 to ll, inclusive. The device consists of an arm 2l whose upper end is pivot-ally secured at V22 to the inner edge ol the table or benen,

as the case may be, and whose lower end is pivotally secured at 23 to a plunger or tollower 24 vertically movable within a cylinder 25, the latter being secured in the door immediately below the inner edges ot the table and benches when the latter are in the elevated position and centrally arranged with respect thereto. It will be understood that the table and each of the benches is equipped with one of these strain-relieving devices, and their positions will be more readily understood by reference to Fig. l, in which the devices are indicated in broken vlines and designated bythe reference nuineral 26. rlhe device iurt-her comprises a bell crank lever 217 pivotally secured to the door adjacent the lower end of the cylinder 25, as indicated by the reference numeral 28, one end oit this bell crank lever being connected by means oi a link 29 'to the under side of the follower 24C, and the other arin oi' the bell crank lever being connected pivotally to a shoe 30 which, when the parts are elevated and inoperative, assumes a position as shown inligs. 8 and 9, this position el the shoe being assumed by reason ol a spring 3i within the cylinder 25 and between the top ot the cylinder and the inner edge oi" the piston or follower 24. As will be apparent, this spring tends to force the piston 2st dorniwardly in the cylinder, and by so doing exerts a pressure tending to retain the table or bench to which the device may be attach-ed in the elevated or inoperative position, and acts in effect as counterweight for these parts.

When the table oi bench is lowered, as illustrated in Figs. l0 and ll, the rod 2l is carried upwardly and with itthe piston 2li, the spring 3l being compressed. The upward movement of the piston results in a movement of the bell crank lever 27 in a couiitei'clockwise direction, (sce Figs. .S to il), with the result that the shoe 30 is moved downwardly against the trame piece 32, the short arm ot the bell crank lever with the slice 30 torining in etlect a toggle which when the shoe 30 is forced down as described straightens out and tends to ret-ain the parts in this pbsition.

is a result ot the forcing down of the shoe 30 againstthe frame 32, a rigid support provided for the doors to which the bell cra lever 27 is secured at 28, as previously described, this rigid support being entirely independent ot the hinges and taking the weight oi' the table and benches troni these parts. 1When the table and benches are elcvated, the parts assume the normal position as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, in which they cannot interfere with the opening and closing" ot the doors.

While l have shown in the sectional view,

3, a bed structure, which is located in the cabinet, l lay no claim to the structure, as it is set l'orth in my pending application iiled July 29th, 1927, Serial No. 209,260. ln the side cabinets may be located tolding tables or other devices, but the constructions ot these particular devices claimed in this application.

l claim: y

l. rlhe combination with a door adapted to swing on vertical hinges, of a structure seu cured to one face of the door on horizontal are not hinges and adapted to be swung either upf wardly flush against the face oit the door or into a horizontal position extending away `from the door,'means for supporting `the,

Yll5

structure into the horizontal position, a second member pivotally secured to the door and operatively connected with the first member,

Y and a shoe connected with the second member and adapted to be brought into contact with a relatively fixed surface by movement of the said structure into the horizontal position so that the springs are relieved by said shoe ot' a portion of the weight oi the inner end of said structure.

2. The combination with a supporting structure, of a sub-structure hinged on horizontal hinges to the support and adapted to occupy a vertical position against the face of the supporting structure and in a substantially horizontal position projecting outwardly therefrom, a leg member adapted to support the outer end of said sub-structure when in the horizontal position, and a rod pivotally connected to the said leg member and to the supporting structure whereby the leg member is automatically moved from the dependent position which it occupies when the sub-structure is elevated to a substantially vertical `position supporting the outer end of said sub-structure in the horizontal position and vice versa.

3. Means connecting the hinged edge of a sub-structure to a supporting structure including a member connected with the substructure and movable when the latter is moved, means engaging said memberI and opposing movement of the sub-structure, a bell crank lever secured to the supporting structure and connected with the movable member, and a shoe forming with one of the arms oi the said bell crank lever a toggle whereby when the sub-structure is lowered the shoe is brought into engagement with the supporting structure and maintained in said engagement to support the sub-structure.

4. The combination with a supporting structure having a frame, ofa sub-structure hinged to the support so as to occupy either a vertical or a horizontal position, a member connected to the sub-structure and movable when the latter is moved, means for opposing the movement of the sub-structure to a horizontal position, a bell crank lever secured to the supporting structure and connected with the movable member, and means connected to the bell crank and adapted to rest on the frame of the supporting structure when the sub-structure is lowered.

5. The combination with a supporting structure, of a sub-structure hinged to the supportso as tooccupy either a vertical or a horizontal position, a member connected with the sub-structure and movable when the latter is moved, a spring engaging the said member and opposing movement of the substructure to the horizontal position, a bell crank lever secured to the supporting structure and connected with the movable member, and a shoe forming with one of the arms of the said bell crank lever a toggle whereby when the sub-structure is lowered the shoe is brought into engagement with the supporting structure and maintained in said engagement to support the sub-structure.

FREDERICK B. KAUFMAN. 

